Improvement in grain-drills



iIiNiITEn ST.Lory-yg,

PATENT GILBERT M. L. MCMILLEN, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRAIN'DRILLS.

Specification forming-part ot" LettersPatent No. 174,967.. dated March 21, 1876; application tiled February 5, 1876.

To vall-.whom @Zt/may concern:

Be it known that I, GILBERT ML L. MGMIL- LEN, of Dayton, in.. thecounty of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have inventedfcertain new and useful Improvements i`n Feed Apparatus for Grain-Drills; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates to that class of graindrills in which a series of agitating-wheels, keyed upon a common shaft and in bearings secured to the under side of the seed-box, aid in conveying the grain into a corresponding number of spouts, from which it passes through the hoes to the furrows made for its reception; and my improvements consist in the novel arrangement of an adjustable registering-cylinder, sliding uponthe feed-wheel, in connection with an accompanying cut-oit' slide, the Whole heilig arranged as will be herewith described, and the invention distinctly pointed out in the claims.

To enable others skilled in the art to which my .invention appertains to make and use the same I would thus proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure l is a plan View of my improved feeding device. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3l is a sectional view through the line w ac of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is au end elevation of Fig. 1.

Corresponding letters of reference indicate like parts in all the gures. y

A represents the chamber, of which there is 'a series attached at equal intervals to the under side of the seed-box of a graindri1l-,and into which there is communication by slides arranged in any convenient manner. A shaft, B, extends through, and is journaled in, the entire series of chambers, and is revolved by .any suitable mechanism `that connects it to the supporting-wheels of the drill.' Within each chamber, and keyed upon the shaftB, is

the agitating or feeding wheel G, which I pret'- erably make of the shape represented and of the usual width, though other shapes may be employed with like results. Fitting snugly but loose upon the shaft' B is a sleeve, D, slotted circumferentially near the end. At its vother end this sleeve has shoulders a, to `which iis .secured a cylinder, E, that passesl through an oriice made to receive it into the chamber and over the feed-wheel C. Thisfendof the cylinder is fitted with a disk, havingfcut from it a portion corresponding in shape to a seca tion of the feed-wheel, and it fits snugly upon the feed-Wheel, as represented in Figs. 3 and 4:. F is a forked arm, with the forks resting in the slot of the sleeve D, and secured at its other end by a shaft, G, which extends the length of the seed-box, and is journaled in bearings b, attached to' the chamber A. A set-screw, c, secures the arm F to the shaft G. Securely bolted to the arm F is the right-angular piece H that enters the chamber A through a slot made to receive it, and is coincident with the end of the cylinder E. It tills the space of the chamber between its side and said cylinder, and serves as a cut-off slide, together with the cylinder, in regulating' the quantity of grain admitted to the chamber. I represents the saddle-piece, seen in section in Figs. 3 and 4, that rests inthe beveled ends of the chamber A and serves to complete the structure of the chamber. When grain is admitted from the seed-box into the chamber A the revolution of the feed-Wheel, carrying with it the cylinder E in the direction indicated by the arrows, agitates the grain and feeds it in a regular ascertained quantity through the opening shown at d, Fig. 3, and into the receivingcup, which is hung to the ears e in the usual manner.

To change the quantity to be drilled it is only necessary to slide the shaft G in its bearings by means of any suitable mechanismsay a simple lever, whose end in connection with an indcx-plate at one end of the seed-box would enable au attendant to accurately adjust all ofthe cylinders to that point at which the requisite amount would be fed. For, as the shaft G is moved, the arms F, rigidly attached to it, would carry the sleeve and.y cylinder inand out, as the case might be, thus lessening or increasing the feeding capacity of the chamber A by what, in effect, would be lessening or shortening of the Wheel C.

When it is desired to have some of the hoes deposit a quantity greater or less than the rest it can be accomplished by loosening the screw c, and thus changing the position of the cylinder with reference to the chamber A.

The advantage of this mechanism is its perfeet freedom from any liability to crush o1' in any way injure the grain in its passage through the chamber. Such portion of the grain as may lodge between the face of the cylinder and the inside surface of the chamber simply remains there uninjured.

I am aware that sliding cylinders have been used in connection with seed-wheels to regulate the quantity 0f seed sown; but in none of these is found that capability herein illustrated of adjusting a part of the feeders to sow one quantity of grain and the remainder a iierent quantity.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The cylinder E, tting upon the feedwheel C, and keyed upon the shaft B, in connection with the united slide H and arm F, the latter made adjustable upon the shaft G by the set-screw c, and having its forked end conned in the circumferential slot of the sleeve D, as and for the purpose specified.

2. The herein-described feeding mechanism, consisting substantially of the chamber A, with its saddle-piece I, shaft B, feed-wheel C, cylinder E, sleeve D, slide H, arm F, set-screw C, and shaft G, journaled in bearings b, attached to the chambers A, the whole as and for the purpose specied.

Witness my hand this 1st day of February, A. D. 1876.

GILBERT M. L. MGMILLEN.

Witnesses:

PATRICK H. GUNCKEL, WM. RITCHIE. 

